Mary Louise Kiely

Our Mother, Mary Louise Kiely, nee Weschler, died peacefully on Mother’s Day, May 12, 2019. While we will miss her greatly, we know that she was looking forward to joining our father, Dr. John T. Kiely who loved her unconditionally. Of that, she was grateful, laughing that it was no easy task.

Mom attended high schools in Erie, PA and Los Angeles, and graduated from Anderson High School in 1946. She lived most of her life in Anderson and cherished her summers at Lake Wawasee, where she tended her hosta and flower gardens. Though born in Erie, she had deep roots in Indiana, having descended from Thomas Carr, one of the signatories of the Indiana State Constitution.

Mom was an excellent cook, collecting recipes by the thousands and sitting the family down for a homemade dinner every night. Her chocolate fudge was the best, her Italian Roast Beef sandwiches rivaled Art’s, and her birthday cakes were always homemade, never from a box.

She was a prodigious letter writer to friends and family, had to drive us to the emergency room a few too many times, and had a voice that carried throughout the neighborhood: just ask any of the Weis or Michael family members. 

Mom loved drinking Margaritas with her Anderson girlfriends and Bloody Marys with her Lake friends. She had quite a laugh, especially after a few drinks. We are thankful that she and Dad worked hard for the lovely weekend getaways that the lake provided.

She somehow managed to get all 6 of us kids to Mass every Sunday morning, with spit washed faces, albeit a little late some weeks. Her Christmas Eve parties were beautiful and epic, complete with Swedish meatballs and bourbon punch, and she never lost a silver fork, thanks to her sons’ heroic rescue efforts.

Each summer after swim season ended, Mom and Dad would load the whole family into the station wagon so we could travel all over the US. She planned each trip without the internet, credit cards or cell phones. We survived trips to Custer’s Last Stand and Gettysburg (though it seemed the larger battles were fought in the car), the South, the East Coast, Cape Cod, Canada, Seattle, San Francisco, and a few lively Spring Breaks in Panama City. 

Our last big childhood trip was in 1971, with the whole family piled into a VW bus for a legendary journey through the European Alps. Mom only made reservations for the first and last nights, finding guest houses along the way. We all seemed to inherit this sense of wanderlust, for which we are eternally grateful. Though some of us moved far away from our beloved Hoosier state, Mom always made an effort to visit-making trips to California, Europe, New Mexico, Texas, Florida and Virginia.

Mom and Dad valued education, with all six of us receiving at least one degree from Indiana University.

Mom missed her parents Charles and Achsa (Miller) Weschler every day after their passing. She was also preceded in death by her sisters Shirley (Bob) Sonnenberg and Louise (Carl) Kranz and her favorite dog Bandit.

She is survived by her 6 children, Robert (Susie) Kiely of Santa Fe, NM, Anne (Jay) Merrell of Noblesville, IN, John (Meilin) Kiely of Richmond, VA, Susan (Joe) Krauss of Redwood City, CA, James (Lise) Kiely of Vienna, Austria, and Lisa (Tommy) Decker of Lafayette, IN. She loved her 10 grandchildren-John, Andrew, Daniel, and Catherine Merrell, Kiely and Thomas Decker, Kaile and Rachel Krauss, and John Mario and Michael Jao Kiely; and her many favorite grand dogs.

She is also survived by her brother, John (Linda) Weschler; and her beloved Weschler and Sonnenberg niece and nephews. 

Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. on July 25, 2019 at St. Mary Catholic Church, 1115 Pearl Street in Anderson. Burial will be at East Maplewood Cemetery. Following internment there will be a celebration of life at 4:00pm at 1010 Westfield Road, Noblesville, IN.

Randall & Roberts Funeral Homes of Noblesville has been entrusted with Mary’s care.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Dr. John T. and Mary Kiely Medical Scholarship Fund, c/o Madison County Community Foundation Inc., 33 West 10th Street, Anderson, IN 46016.

Condolences:  www.randallroberts.com